


Cooking and Other Pleasures

by wavebreeze



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cooking, Drunkenness, F/M, Zelink Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 16:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13884399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wavebreeze/pseuds/wavebreeze
Summary: While at college, Zelda and Link meet at a class about Hylian Food and History. A modern AU oneshot with lots of fluff and food. Zelink.





	Cooking and Other Pleasures

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: cute drunken shenanigans

“The history of Hyrule’s cuisine is the history of Hyrule.”

Zelda tried not to roll her eyes at Professor Purah as she watched the old, petite woman speak with excessive grandiose for such an ordinary topic. She had heard many things about this class but she still hadn’t been prepared for the caricature that was Professor Purah.  The woman’s hair was pulled back in a massive bun that wobbled whenever she moved, making her look top heavy.  Her outfit was a mix of patterns and colors to match her eccentric personality, and she was taking this class way too seriously, even for being the professor.

Zelda knew she could only blame herself though for choosing a class called  _Hyrule, Food, and Culture_.  The course was famous at Castle Town University for being the easiest class to fulfill a humanities credit.  She had figured that having some leftovers wouldn’t hurt either. Also, it would serve as a nice break from a very heavy science and math semester.  With Vector Analysis, Organic Chemistry, Semiconductor Devices, and Multivariable Calculus, this class – which was really just a glorified bakeshop – would be a piece of cake.

As the professor continued on and on, Zelda glanced through the syllabus. It was a relatively light workload with only two classes a week and a few assessments.  One of the classes was the lab on Thursdays, though she found it funny they called it “lab” when it was just cooking time.  The class would, supposedly, analyze the changes in Hyrule’s cuisine to reflect the changes in the political climate, environment, and social structure.  They would also cook a dish a week that was of some importance to the discussion so that the students would really  _taste_ what Hyrule was like back then.  All in all the class seemed like it would be a breeze with maybe just a few too many cooking puns.  The only issue was the fact that she had to have a lab  _partner_.  Zelda loathed working with others, whether it be school projects or organizing for clubs. She always found herself doing all the work because everybody else seemed fine with  _good enough_ but she wanted  _perfect._

She wasn’t too upset about it though.  She would deal with the partner as she had with all other group projects: do it all herself.

.

School had started but technically it was still summer, and so CTU’s Commons was overflowing with students lounging on picnic blankets, tossing Frisbees, and reading under the shade of trees.  Zelda had been enjoying the early afternoon on the grass, talking with her housemates Malon and Midna, but she grudgingly checked her phone again to see that it was nearly time for her cooking lab.

“Ugh, I have to get going,” Zelda grumbled as she tucked her things back into her bag.

“Time for bakeshop?” Midna asked with a playful smirk.  Zelda tried to crush her jealousy as she watched her housemate sunbathe, but was unsuccessful.

“Yeah, time to bake cookies or whatever,” Zelda sighed.

“Sounds like a blast to me,” Malon cut in, always the optimist. The red head’s skin was already looking a little sunburned even though they had been out for less than two hours.  “I’d love to make desserts over reading 100 pages of Ancient Hylian any day.”

“It’s not that, it’s just that I have to work with a lab  _partner_ ,” Zelda grumbled like it was the worst fate in the world.

“Oh no, poor you,” Midna teased as she closed her eyes and looked so relaxed Zelda thought it was obscene.

“Maybe you’ll get somebody hot?” Malon added with a smirk.

Zelda rolled her eyes and began to walk away, annoyed that nobody seemed to share her despair over lab partners.

“Bring me some cookies later!” Midna called out.

“Not a chance!” Zelda shouted back, and then briskly walked towards the lab.

She arrived to class five minutes early, as always, and Professor Purah directed her to a lab station in the back of the room.  This lab was different from all of the other spaces she had worked in before.  Instead of burners and test tubes there were little kitchens at every table with a mini fridge, basic cooking supplies, and a stove.  The wall was lined with extra counter spaces, sinks, ovens, and fridges. She had no idea such a room existed at her university.

Five minutes later and the rest of the class had arrived and met their partners, all except whoever was supposed to be with Zelda.  As the professor began explaining the days’ assignment – a simple fragrant mushroom sauté – Zelda hoped that her partner dropped the class and she could work alone.

“This mushroom sauté was a favorite among the travelers of the New Kingdom because it was fast, nutritious, and delicious,” Professor Purah explained with a passion that only she possessed for the topic. “It was a staple of the New Kingdom cuisine because after a century of no civil growth, mushrooms were plentiful and travelers could always count on finding some shrooms wherever they went.  Once Goron City was open again to travelers, Goron Spice was on the main market again and this dish rocketed in popularity.  It is believed that the Hero especially enjoyed this dish – ,”

Right at that moment, the door burst open and a young man rushed in. His cheeks were flushed and some of his long, dark blond hair stuck to his glistening forehead.

“So sorry I’m late,” he huffed out, flashing the professor a charming grin that had her smiling despite his tardiness.

“Oh, no worries,” she said happily.  “You’ll be in the back left table with Miss Zelda.”

Zelda’s heart dropped.  She tried her best not to glare at her partner as he approached the table but doubted she succeeded.  He was dressed in sneakers and running clothes, with a shirt that said “Climb Everything” that stretched very nicely across his chest.  His dark blue eyes looked impossibly bright next to his golden, tan skin, and she couldn’t help thinking of what Malon had said earlier.

Still, he was her lab partner and for that she already detested him.  And he was late.

He slid down into the seat next to her and his sweaty yet delicious scent washed over her.

“Hey,” he whispered, “I’m Link.”

“Zelda,” she replied with a polite smile.

“What’d I miss?” He asked.

“Something about mushrooms,” she answered, hoping to end the conversation but he chuckled lightly.

“Goddess, we’ve already spent a whole class on mushrooms, what else is there to talk about?”

She shrugged and ignored him.  Though she did agree with his point, she did not appreciate him distracting her in the middle of class, even if he did have gorgeous eyes.

They listened to the professor talk some more about the ingredients, and then they were finally released to make the dish in their teams of two. Zelda and Link began to chop the mushrooms and herbs in silence, and Zelda finally felt a bit better about the situation.  Cooking was simple.  This would be fine.

Link chopped the mushrooms much faster than she did, but she tried to ignore her innate competitiveness and relax.  Once everything was chopped, she followed the recipe and measured out a teaspoon of oil to pour over the skillet.  She was about to drop it in when Link stopped her.

“Wait another minute, the pan isn’t hot yet.”

Zelda paused and glanced at the recipe.  It didn’t say anything about waiting for the pan to be hot first, but she said nothing.  Maybe this was something everybody did when cooking?  She had done nearly zero cooking in her life, so she figured she might actually learn a few useful tips in this otherwise random class.

After a minute, Zelda poured in the oil and moved to toss the mushrooms in too. When she looked back at the pan though, Link was adding even more oil to the pan.

“What are you doing?” Zelda asked, perhaps a bit more intense than was warranted.

“Just needs a bit more oil,” he replied simply, unbothered by her tone.

Zelda regained her composure and stopped herself from snapping at him. Did he think she measured incorrectly? She almost wanted to tell him about all the chemistry labs she took last year, but she reined herself in.

Link took the mushrooms from her and added them into the pan.  They emitted a satisfying sizzle upon coming into contact with the oil, and she could already begin to smell their delicious aroma.

After a moment, Link grabbed a handful of salt and tossed it into the mix.

Zelda gaped.  “What are you doing?  Salt isn’t in the recipe!” She snapped.  He hadn’t even measured!

“Everything tastes better with salt,” he replied with a smile, looking very pleased with himself even while Zelda began to feel like strangling him.

“Okay, but it’s not in the recipe,” she stated again, a bit slower incase he didn’t get it the first time.

“Yeah, but it’s gonna taste better now,” he shrugged as he began to stir the vegetables around.  He then carelessly tossed in some pepper, and Zelda wondered if it was to make it  _taste better_  or just to spite her.

“Are you just gonna keep screwing up the dish by adding in random ingredients? Because I’d rather not fail  _cooking_  of all things,” she sniped, crossing her arms indigently.

Link now looked affronted at her tone and finally turned to face her. “They’re not random ingredients,” he replied a bit defensively. “They’re  _seasonings_.”

“I don’t care, it’s not in the recipe,” Zelda snapped. “I doubt the travelers of the New Kingdom used salt and pepper for their mushroom sautés.”

“If they were good cooks they did,” Link retorted as he tossed in the herbs.

Fuming and overwhelmed, Zelda rummaged through the drawers to find a teaspoon for the Goron Spice, unsure of what to say back to her partner.  She then looked up to see him pouring in way too much Goron Spice, and without measuring anything!

She didn’t know what to say anymore, so she just started at him with her mouth gaping.  He stirred the mix together and brought a spoonful to his mouth, tasting it and giving a satisfied hum.  He looked at Zelda and smiled.

“You don’t cook much, do you?” He asked, shaking in a bit more salt to the dish.

Zelda crossed her arms and properly glared at him.  She couldn’t believe how condescending he was being just because she would rather follow procedure.  “What is that supposed to mean?” She snapped, and Link had the decency to look a little guilty.

“Sorry, I didn’t it mean it like that,” he rushed, and Zelda wondered if his face was red from embarrassment or from the heat of the stove.  “I just meant that cooking is fun and artistic…and you don’t look like you’re having much fun…” he trailed off at the end awkwardly.

“I would have more fun if we followed the recipe like we are supposed to. You’ve never taken a lab before, have you?” She asked mockingly in the same way he had asked her.

He narrowed his eyes at her, no longer embarrassed or guilty. “Cooking isn’t a  _lab_ ,” he corrected. “It’s an art. It’s called the culinary  _arts_.”

Zelda opened her mouth to snap at him again, but then Professor Purah clapped her hands for silence and Zelda had to swallow her anger.  The professor began walking around the room, taking a few bites from everyone’s dishes.  The other teams all did well – this was a basic meal after all – except for the table next to them had burnt a bit of their food.  Zelda was already starting to feel ashamed.  It would be mortifying to know they failed on such a simple recipe all because her partner felt the need to be  _creative_.

Professor Purah jumped in front of them and asked excitedly, “How is Team Last-but-not-least doing?”

“Fine,” Link and Zelda said tensely at the same time, avoiding eye contact with each other.

The professor eagerly took a bit of their dish, and she hummed with excitement in a way she hadn’t with the other dishes.

“Oh, this is  _very_ nice,” she praised, taking another bite. “Absolutely delicious.  No need for me to deliberate, this is the best dish.  Bonus points to Team Last-but-not-least!”

Zelda stared dumbly at her as she flounced back to the front of the room. This was not at all what she had expected, and beside her Link looked far too pleased with himself. Grudgingly, Zelda took a small bite of the dish as well.

Damn, it was good.

Once Purah announced the end of the class, they cleaned their dishes in silence and then Zelda bolted out of the room as soon as she could.  Even the bonus points couldn’t make her feel any better.

The only thing Zelda hated more than lab partners was being wrong.

.

“Oh, he’s cute,” Malon gushed as she scrolled through Facebook photos of Link. Her, Zelda, and Midna lounged in their tiny living room, reconnecting after another long day of classes.  They still had to unpack some boxes and hang some photos, but the couches were out and that was all that mattered to Zelda.

“He’s not cute,” she grumbled as Malon and Midna looked through many photos. “He’s condescending and arrogant.  He totally ignored the recipe and ruined everything.”

“Sounds like he actually saved your dish,” Midna said with a teasing smirk.

Zelda rolled her eyes, “Yeah whatever, but he’s still a jerk.”

“A  _hot_ jerk,” Malon corrected. Zelda chucked a pillow at her, but it thumped harmlessly against her leg.

“Oh, he’s on the climbing team!” Midna announced, taking the computer from Malon and turning it towards Zelda. “You even have to admit that’s hot.”

Zelda peered suspiciously at the photo of Link, shirtless and sweaty, climbing a jagged cliff with a grin plastered on his handsome face.  The setting sun outlined his defined muscles in his arms, back, and thighs.  She wished he had been facing the camera more so they could see the front –

Nope, didn’t matter.  He was still a horrible person.

“He’s fine,” She said, trying to seem disinterested, but she must have been unconvincing as the two other women laughed at her.

“You mean he’s  _fine_ ,” Malon corrected.

“Whatever,” Zelda grumbled, trying to go back to focusing on her problem set.

“Oh no, poor Zelda has a hot lab partner who is also good at cooking,” Midna mocked, and the two of them giggled together.

Zelda couldn’t help but smile.  She decided that once he apologized, she would loosen up a bit and then maybe they could be friends.

.

Link did not apologize.

At the beginning of the next lab neither of them said anything to each other. Zelda considered making conversation but swore she would wait for an apology before trying to start again. He, however, seemed to have had the same idea.

They began preparing for their simple meat and rice bowl in tense silence. Zelda could hear the other teams having amiable conversation with each other, but Team Last-but-not-least, as Professor Purah dubbed them, was quiet.

Link once again added copious amounts of salt and oil, but this time Zelda grudgingly remained silent.  She still wasn’t sure if she would rather scold him or receive extra points.

She then remembered the special tool she had brought in for today.  She rummaged through her bag and dug out what she was looking for, feeling a bit more confident in herself again for her foresight.

“You brought a thermometer?” Link asked incredulously, the first thing he had said that class.

“Yes,” Zelda replied tersely, unsure why he was so appalled by it.  She was about to slip the end of the thermometer into the meat when Link cut in.

“It’s not done yet,” he stated simply.

“Well, I’ll just check that,” she retorted, a bit more snappish than she intended. They watched as the needle moved, only to stop short of the temperature they were aiming for.

Zelda didn’t mind though.  She removed the thermometer and placed it aside, ready to check it again in a few minutes.

They sat in tense silence again as they chopped the vegetables and stirred the rice occasionally.  Zelda got up to fetch another piece of garlic since their clove was rotten.  She bitterly wondered if Link had some special way of salvaging rotten food since he seemed to think he was goddess’s gift to the cooking world.

She chopped her garlic and added it to the pan.  After a few more minutes, she decided it was time to check the temperature of the meat again.  She reached for the thermometer, but it wasn’t there anymore.

“Where’d you put my thermometer?” She asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

“I didn’t touch it,” Link replied defensively.

Zelda rummaged through the drawers and looked around on the floor but still couldn’t find it.  “Are you sure?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Link floundered a little bit, and then grumbled, “I think I would remember if I had moved it.”

Zelda sighed.  She couldn’t believe he was so childish as to hide her thermometer from her.  She spent the next few minutes searching through all the drawers, cups, and her backpack for the thermometer, but to no avail.

“It’s fine,” Link sighed after a bit. “The meat is done now.”

“How do you know?” She asked.

He used a knife to cut into the center of the meat, spreading the skin apart so they could peer in.  It oozed a bit of liquid and was just barely pink.  Zelda had to admit it looked delicious, but she wasn’t going to say that to him.

“Great,” she grumbled in a voice that said she really didn’t think it was great. “Can you give me my thermometer back now?”

“I don’t have it,” he snapped back.

“Well, where else would it be?”

He rolled his eyes and looked away from her.  His mouth opened to reply, but nothing came out.  His annoyed gaze turned into one of confusion and mild disgust as he stared at the table in front of them.  Zelda followed his gaze to see the large man at the table in front of them using  _her thermometer_  as a back scratcher.

They stared in dumb shock for a moment, watching with horror as he slipped it under his shirt to better access his itch.  The man must have felt them watching him, because he turned around and grinned as he continued to scratch his back.

“Sorry,” he said happily, oblivious to their horror. “Just really needed this.  Thanks!”

He held the thermometer out to her but Zelda didn’t move to take it.

“That’s okay,” she mumbled. “You keep it.”

The oblivious man joyfully continued scratching his back as Zelda and Link sat together in silence.  Zelda could feel her face heating up with embarrassment, and this time she genuinely felt guilty for harassing Link.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as he began combining the rice and meat together.

“It’s fine,” he replied, but it was clear to her that he was still annoyed with her.

Zelda held back a sigh.  She hoped the next class would be better.

.

It wasn’t.  Nor was the class after that, or the next one.

When they weren’t working in tense silence they were bickering.  They always found something to argue about, and afterwards Zelda would hate herself for getting so worked up over pasta water or something equally unimportant, but then a few minutes later she would get frustrated all over again and snap at him.

What bothered her the most was that they kept winning the best dish and earning bonus points.  It wasn’t that she was opposed to extra points or winning, but she was opposed to Link’s improvisation being what got them there and the fact that she had no idea how he did it.  She knew her frustration was stemming from her pride, but she couldn’t let it go, especially when he corrected her way of cutting a hearty durian.  She wasn’t so unfamiliar with a kitchen that she didn’t know how to cut a  _durian_.

After a few classes of this unpleasant dynamic, she had decided that she loathed him. She no longer cared about his stunning bright blue eyes or deliciously tanned skin or defined muscles; he was the most annoying partner she had ever had the misfortune to work with.

And that’s why when she saw him at the party, she immediately wanted to leave.

“That’s him?” Midna asked, yelling over the sound of music and chatter as she passed Zelda a beer.  They were huddled together in the corner of one of the many rooms in the house where university students were dancing, talking and drinking.

“Yes,” Zelda shouted over the noise. “Can we please go now?”

“Come on, Zelda,” Midna replied with a swig of her drink. “There are a hundred people in here, I’m sure you can avoid him.  Don’t let him ruin your night.”

Zelda glared at Link again, even though he was oblivious to her presence. She watched him as he played another round of Flip Cup, laughing and looking frustratingly cute with the alcohol induced flush in his cheeks.

“Besides,” Midna continued with a grin. “You look amazing in my dress – you’re welcome, by the way – and we are gonna drink and dance until we forget all about today’s quizzes.  Okay?”

Zelda smiled and nodded, feeling better again knowing that she would have a fun night with Midna by her side.  She looked down at her black dress.  Though a bit short, she had to admit it fit her perfectly and the intricate straps on the back made her feel strong and a bit sexy.

She took a large swig of her beer and grinned.  “Okay, let’s go dance.”

Zelda promptly forgot about Link and stupid cooking classes as her and Midna passed the next two hours dancing and chatting up with friends, both new and old. The house was overcrowded and sticky from alcohol splashing everywhere, but they relished the escape even just for a little while.  The fun ended though once Midna set her sights on a young woman from her seminar who she was hoping to talk to for the past few weeks.

“Oh,  _finally,_ ” Midna said with relief, as she placed her empty drink down and flicked back her long hair. “Don’t wait up for me, Zel, I’m gonna be busy tonight.”

She grinned wickedly at Zelda before strutting away towards the woman, her hips swinging seductively and her orange hair glistening in the light. Zelda smiled as she watched her begin chatting up the woman.  She wished she had as much confidence as Midna did.

With Midna now thoroughly occupied, Zelda decided it was time to go home. The house was overcrowded and humid from all of the bodies, so she eagerly rushed for the exit.  As soon as she opened the door she was met with a rush of cool night air that felt like heaven on her sticky skin.  She was descending down the stairs when she nearly tripped over a man lying across the bottom step. He was slumped across the stairs with an arm slung over his face to cover his eyes.  His cheeks were red and sweaty and his golden hair was an absolute mess.  Despite his sickly appearance, Zelda recognized the man.

For a second she thought about leaving him, but she knew she couldn’t walk away when there was somebody looking so horrible on the street, even if she loathed him.

“Link?” She called tentatively as she kneeled beside him. He grumbled and tried to turn away from her, but the step was uncomfortable and he just bumped his head painfully against the stone.

“Link?” She called again, a bit louder, and this time he removed his arms and blearily opened his eyes to look at her.

“You?” He asked quietly, his eyebrows scrunching up in obvious confusion.

She smiled and tried to gently pull him up into sitting position.  He moved to follow her but swayed dangerously to one side.  “Are you here with anyone?” She asked as she held him steady.

“Dunno,” he mumbled. “I think they left.”  He groaned and held his head in his hands. “I feel…ew,” he whined, and if Zelda didn’t hate him so much she would have thought it was cute.

“You look ew,” she replied and he giggled childishly.

“I want to sleep now,” He announced and moved to lie back down on the step.  Zelda reached out and stopped him from going any farther.

“Oh no you don’t,” she said and stood up, pulling him with her by his hands. He tipped back and forth but was able to stand on his own two feet.  Zelda looked around for anybody that seemed familiar with Link and capable of taking him home, but it looked like she would be the unfortunate soul to do it.

With a sigh, she asked, “Where do you live?”

“In a house!” He answered eagerly, grinning proudly.

“Great, but what is the address?”

“Oh, um…it’s on the…by the…” he fumbled as he waved his hand around as if searching for the answer somewhere in the air. “There’s a park?  And pizza?”

Zelda held back a sigh.  “Renado Park?”

“Yes!” he clapped his hands with excitement.

“By the School of Management?”

“Sure!”

She couldn’t help but smile and shake her head fondly at him.  He was a cute, stupid drunk, that was for sure. Figuring that was the best answer she was going to get, she started leading him away from the house and towards the park at the end of the road.  She estimated it would be about a ten-minute walk.  She could handle that.

He stumbled along beside her, but overall seemed fine walking, though he could not walk in a straight line to save his life.  After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Where are we going?”

Zelda barely held in her laughter. “Your house.”

“Oh, good,” he sighed with relief.  Then, after a beat, “Why do you hate me?”

She was a bit shocked by his bold and random question, but more importantly she felt overwhelmed with guilt.  Though she couldn’t help but argue with him during class, no part of her could despise this cute, ditzy version of Link she had right now.

“I don’t hate you,” she replied but he didn’t seem to register her words.

“I’m sorry you hate me,” he whispered sadly.  She had to reach out to hold him closer to her so that a biker had enough room to zoom pass them.  He stumbled back and forth and tipped dangerously far to the left, but thankfully straightened himself out again.

“How much did you drink?” She asked, watching him warily.

“Too much,” he sighed and rubbed his head again.

“What did you drink?”

“ _Lots_ of Noble Pursuits.”

“More like Ignoble Pursuits,” She grumbled and Link giggled in such an adorable way that it was infectious.  She smiled at him as he laughed with drunken giddy.

“Okay, okay, okay,” he rushed and held his hands out as if trying to slow everything down.  They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk while he tried to organize his thoughts. “If I am an Ignoble Pursuit, then you would be a…Nutty Sour.”

“A Nutty Sour?” She asked incredulously as they began to walk again. “Why?”

“Because you are an acquired taste, but once acquired, you’re their favorite drink!”

Zelda was stumped.  Was that an insult or a compliment?  She glanced at him, but he just looked oblivious, giddy, and completely drunk.

They walked together for a few more minutes in silence, which was occasionally split by Zelda pulling Link away from the street and back onto the sidewalk.  At one point he asked Zelda to dare him to climb the tree.  Zelda did not but he started to climb it anyway.  She had to practically drag him away from it, and thankfully he was drunk and uncoordinated because she doubted she could have done so if he had been sober.  He then started singing a pop song that had been playing earlier at the party.  He sang quietly, but Zelda was surprised to find that he actually had a very nice voice.

Finally, they made it to the front of the School of Management and Zelda asked, “Okay, see your house anywhere?”

He spun around and look frantically around him with comic urgency, and then he pointed towards a small townhouse down the road and shouted with triumph, “There!”

Zelda was relieved that he was able to remember where he lived.  They made their way to the house, passing by a group of rowdy college students, and Zelda helped him up the steps to the front door.  She knocked loudly while Link slumped against the railing, looking suddenly paler and sweatier than before.  A few moments later, the door swung open to reveal a massive man in a CTU Football shirt.

“Package for you,” Zelda said, pointing to Link, and the man laughed heartily.

“Oh no, Little Guy, too much to drink?”

Link opened his mouth to reply, but then his body suddenly lurched forward and he slapped his hand over his mouth.  A second later he spun around and puked over the railing into the grass below. Both Zelda and the man winced at the sound of his retching and Zelda began breathing in through her mouth to avoid smelling it.

“Aw, okay, I got it from here,” The man said with a tired smile as he began leading Link back into the house.  “Thank you for bringing him home!”

“No problem,” Zelda sighed as she watched Link stumble inside.  She felt better now that he was with a friend and at home.

“Bye, bye, Nutty Sour,” Link mumbled and waved at her with a dopey expression on his face.

She smiled at him as the door closed, leaving her alone on the doorstep. Releasing a relieved sigh, she began the walk home.  So much for avoiding the man she hated.

.

When Link arrived to the next class, his face was flushed with embarrassment and he stared at his feet as he walked to the desk.  Zelda just smiled and watched him sit beside her.  There was something about practically carrying an adorable, drunk man down the street and watching him vomit in his yard that made it much harder to despise him.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment and then finally looked at Zelda.  Rubbing the back of his neck and blushing, he said, “I think I need to thank you for the other night…”

Zelda giggled and replied, “You’re welcome.  I hope you were okay the next morning.”

“Oh, definitely not,” he chuckled. “But nothing serious.”

“Do you remember everything?”

“Yeah…” he mumbled, now so embarrassed that even his ears turned red. “Just so you know, I don’t drink that much usually.  I haven’t been that drunk since the beginning of First Year.”

“And how long ago was that?”  She asked.

“Just a year ago,” he chuckled.  He paused for a moment, perhaps wondering if he should push his luck and keep this conversation going. “What year are you in?”

“I’m also in second year.” She answered, and then they lapsed into silence, but it wasn’t as tense or awkward as their previous silences.  Seconds later Professor Purah began to explain their meal today: fruitcake.  As the professor talked, Zelda was surprised to find herself finally excited to be in lab. Not only were they cooking one of her favorite desserts (and also a favorite of the Princess of the New Kingdom), but maybe her and Link would be able to get along for once.

As they began cooking, Link tentatively asked, “So…do you like baking?”

“Haven’t really baked much, why?” She asked.

Link started whisking the flour, salt, and baking powder as he replied with a shrug, “I figured you would like baking better because it requires much more precision.”

Zelda smiled though felt rather discomfited at being reminded of their weeks-long feud. She pushed on though and replied with, “I just do a lot of labs.”

“Oh, yeah?  What are you studying?”

Tossing in the dried fruit to the mix, Zelda answered, “Not quite sure yet, but either mechanical engineering or chemistry.”

Link emitted a low whistle. “Damn,” he said with a grin. “You must be a genius.”

She felt herself blush and she looked away so that Link couldn’t see her smile, glad she had impressed him.  “What are you studying?” She asked.

“Environmental Science.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“What, why?” He asked curiously.

“You know,” she shrugged as she began to spread the butter across the bottom of the pan. “You like rock climbing and rocks are the environment…”

He chuckled and stopped what he was doing to properly look at her closely. “First of all, I don’t  _love_ rocks.  Rocks are not the reason why I do either of these things.  Secondly, how did you know I’m on the rock climbing team?”

Zelda suddenly felt very hot as he peered at her with a self-assured grin. She had only known this info by Facebook stalking him, which would be a very humiliating thing to admit.

“Oh, um…” she fumbled, busying her hands with straightening the forks in the drawer. “I, um…heard from a friend.  She knew. Yep, she just knew.  Told me, too.  That’s how information travels.  Yep…”

A terrible silence ensued where Zelda stared at the drawer, internally cursing herself, while Link tried not to laugh.

“Right…” he said after a moment, sounding very unconvinced.

“So,” he moved on after a moment. “Tell me what you were doing at that party.”

The rest of the class was the most fun lab Zelda had ever experienced, and the cake was delicious.

.

At the next lab, they cooked seafood paella.  They talked about their summers, their hometowns, how ridiculous the class was, and how many puns they have found in Professor Purah’s lecture slides. They laughed so hard that they were distracted and burnt some of the ingredients.  For that mistake they did not win the best dish award, but neither of them seemed to care.

The lab after that, Zelda asked the question she had always wondered but was too proud to ask.  How did he know when to add salt, oil, water, and every other improvisation he ever did?

When she finally asked, she could tell he was trying to hold in his grin and act like it was no big deal, but he still looked a little smug.  Even though he was far too pleased with himself, Zelda found she had no animosity towards him as he did his best to explain.

“Some things I just picked up from watching my mom cook,” he said as he unscrewed the cap off of the olive oil bottle. “For example, the recipe says just a tablespoon of olive oil, but really they want you to use enough to just cover the bottom of the pan.  The amount will vary depending on the size you’re using, so a tablespoon may usually be enough but, you know, depends.”

He then poured the oil in until it nearly covered the bottom.  Zelda then asked him about how much salt to use, how to tell when meat is cooked without a thermometer, what’s the fastest way to cut a clove of garlic, how do you cut an onion without crying, and much more to the point where Link was too exhausted to answer any more questions.  It wasn’t the first time Zelda had been told she asked too many questions, but when she wanted to learn about something she was extensive.

When class ended she didn’t leave him like she usually did; instead, she waited for him to button up his coat and then they left the lab together.  His army green coat extenuated his rich, tan complexion and the fur lining of his hood made him look adorable, though Zelda promptly stopped herself from thinking any more along these lines.

As they walked down the busy hallway, she asked loudly over the noise, “How’d you get so good at cooking?”

“Necessity, I guess,” he shrugged as they exited the building, only to be met by a bitter cold wind.  Castle Town was well into Autumn now.  Few leaves remained on the trees and the temperature was cold enough to make Link’s cheeks pink and his nose sweetly red –

Ugh, not again.

“My mom was always working late so I usually had to make dinner for my sister and me, and we got tired of frozen pizza pretty fast,” he explained as they walked down the street, their shoulders brushing as they maneuvered past the many other hurried students.  “My dad was out of the picture so, you know, I kind of took up some of the responsibilities he abandoned.”

Zelda felt a twinge of sadness, and though her curiosity was begging her to ask for more, she respected him and didn’t pester him about the details.  Instead, she inquired about his sister.

“How old is your sister?”

“Gee, 18 now?” He replied, looking bewildered. “I still consider her twelve though.  Do you have any siblings?”

“No, though I always wanted a younger brother or sister,” she answered as they turned onto CTU’s main campus.  The wind picked up more now, and Zelda pulled her coat tightly.  “Just me and my dad.”

She could tell that he was curious about her mother just as she was curious about his father, but he didn’t ask her any questions.  That’s okay, she thought, we can talk all about that another time.

She mentally scolded herself again.  What was she picturing?  Some kind of date?  She needed to get it together.

“Well, I’m heading this way,” he said, pointing down the street, which was not at all in the direction of the engineering department where Zelda was headed. “I guess I’ll…see you at the next class?”

Zelda nodded, though she was disappointed that he didn’t want to see her any sooner.  Though why would he?  They were just classmates, nothing more.

Another bitter wind blew, ruffling their hair and making their eyes water. “Goddesses, it’s cold,” Link grumbled as he grabbed a hat from his pocket.  He pulled it over his head, making his golden hair stick in random directions.  It was a bright green woolen hat with a little white pom-pom on top, and he looked absolutely adorable in it.  “See you later!”  He said with a wave as he walked away.

Zelda watched the little pom-pom wobble with every step he took, and then she let out a deep sigh.  It was no use denying it anymore.  She had a crush on her lab partner.

.

Zelda fumbled with her keys, her mittens making it near impossible to pick out the right one, as she stomped the snow off of her boots.  It had been a long day in the library, but after many hours she had finally finished her problem set for Multivariable Calculus and she was looking forward to crawling into bed and watching some dumb TV show.

She swung open the door and entered her home in the dark.  She blindly pressed her hand against the wall, moving it up and down until finally she found the switch.  She flicked it on, and then –

“SURPRISE!”

Zelda screamed and jumped back against the wall, dropping her bag and knocking over the umbrella stand.  Many smiling heads popped out from behind the doorways as they laughed and cheered. They spilled out from the other rooms to fill up the foyer, all wishing her happy birthday and giving her hugs.

“Did we surprise you?” Malon asked, looking very pleased with herself as she tossed her scarlet hair behind her.

Zelda laughed, her heart still pounding, “Yeah, especially since my birthday isn’t until Monday!”

“Well, nobody wants to party on Monday, that’s why we’re doing it a whole two days earlier.  Now come on, you need a drink,” she decided, grabbing Zelda’s hand and moving the party towards the common room where music started blaring and Midna was pouring out some shots and cracking open a few beers.  Zelda opted for a  _Sneaky Sheikah IPA_ over the hard liquor.  She then began chatting with her friends and guests, thanking them for coming and laughing over her complete horror.   She was in the middle of chatting with Saria, her freshman year roommate, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.  She spun around and her heart fluttered at the sight of the man before her.

“Happy birthday!” Link cheered.  He awkwardly reached his arms out as if to embrace her, but then seemed to have changed his mind and his arms went back to hang by his sides.  Zelda didn’t even notice the weird moment since she was too busy trying to calm her panicking brain.  She was wearing a baggy, sky blue sweater and black jeans and her hair was up in a messy bun, nothing at all appealing.  As she smiled at him, she mentally cursed and thanked Midna and Malon for inviting him.

“Come to the kitchen, I’ve got a present for you,” He grinned as he began heading towards the doorway, and Zelda quickly followed.

“You got me a gift?” Zelda gaped while they strode into the kitchen.  The music was a bit quieter here and she didn’t have to shout so much.

“It’s not much,” he admitted, reaching into the fridge. “But, well, I couldn’t resist.”

He pulled out a small cake with “Happy B-Day” written sloppily in yellow frosting.  “For your first gift,” he said, placing the cake on the counter. “A fruitcake, which, by the way, is the worst dessert and you are the only person I know who actually likes them.”

“As we learned in class, fruitcake was a Hylian delicacy for a long time,” Zelda quickly defended herself before exclaiming, “Wait, there’s more than one gift?” She was not at all expecting him to be so nice to her, especially after how she treated him at the beginning of the semester.

“It  _was_  a delicacy until they discovered chocolate and realized fruitcake is gross,” Link retorted before going back into the fridge and pulling out the second present, an amber liquid in a short glass.

He paused before her, waiting for her to say something.

“Is that…” she started suspiciously. “A Nutty Sour?”

“Yep,” he grinned, passing the drink to her. “Happy birthday.”

“Oh my goddesses…” She laughed hard and without restraint.  “I cannot believe,” she gasped out between chuckles. “That you actually…made me this…or that you even remembered considering how drunk you were.”

“I wasn’t  _that_ drunk – ”

“Oh no, you were,” Zelda corrected.  She then took a deep breath, finally stopping her laughter. “Thank you so much,” she said, unable to stop smiling. “It’s so nice of you.”

“No problem,” he answered. “Now, have you had a Nutty Sour before?”

Zelda thought for a moment, and then admitted, “I don’t think I actually have. Or at least, I don’t remember.”

“Give it a taste then,” he encouraged, and she took a sip.  It was definitely sour, but with a tinge of nuttiness and spices.  She couldn’t help making a face though; it was a bit strong for her.

“Yeah, it’s an acquired taste,” he chuckled. “I like them a lot though.”

There was a moment of silence between them.  Was there more to his statement?  Did he mean…

No, there was no way.  Especially after she had accused him of stealing her thermometer.

“Don’t worry, I will love it by the time I finish this drink,” she replied happily. “But you’ll have to help me with this fruitcake.”

“Ugh, fine,” he groaned, but he was smiling as he grabbed two forks from the drawer.

.

“Damn, I was hoping to see Link this morning,” Midna grinned wickedly and wiggled her eyebrows as she sipped her breakfast tea.

Zelda walked slowly about the kitchen, pouring herself her own cup, and then plopped at the table next to her roommate.

“No, we kind of split up once we left the kitchen,” she admitted, remembering how she couldn’t stop looking at him even as she attempted to win a drinking game across the room.

“You should have invited him back to your room to watch a movie or look at your math homework or whatever other bullshit excuse you could think of,” Midna babbled, taking a bite of her toast.

Zelda curled up in the chair, resting her head on her knees.  Even though it was a cold winter morning, her flannel PJs and sweater kept her cozy and warm.

“You know I don’t like hookups,” She replied. “Besides, he doesn’t like me like that…”

“Zelda,” Midna said seriously, placing her cup down. “I say this because I care: you are an absolute  _idiot_.”

Zelda snorted with laughter, but Midna cut in again. “I am serious, Zel, you are deranged.”

“Am not,” she replied defensively.

“Zelda, the boy baked you a  _cake_  and made you some fancy drink,” she stated strongly. “You don’t do that for a girl you hate, or even one you mildly like.  He  _likes_ you.”

Zelda felt her face heat up and she looked down at the table. “M-maybe,” she mumbled. “But, you know, it’s just hard to…like…tell him…”

“You don’t have to announce it in some grand gesture,” Midna stated confidently. “Just invite him out to dinner first, or go to a party together.  Do you at least have his number?”

Zelda shook her head and Midna sighed.

“Okay, goal for the week, Zel, get the digits.”

.

Zelda did not get the digits that week.

She tried, really, but how could she do it in a way that was casual and smooth and not at all awkward and screaming _I have a huge crush on you and you look adorable with snow in your hair_?

The other issue was that the semester was nearly over, and if she didn’t get his number before then they would no longer have their weekly bakeshop. They would probably never see each other again.  Okay, that was a bit extreme, but still, it was a dire situation.

However, she had a plan for their last class.  Once they left, she would ask for his number in case she had any questions about the material for the final paper.  It was a bit silly, since the class was as easy as a college class could be, but still excusable if he ended up uninterested.

Of course, the plan completely failed because he had to run to a review session with no time to chat, and so Zelda watched him dash out of the room in hopeless frustration.  Their final was just a paper, which meant there was no reason for them to be in the same room together ever again.

The next two weeks were packed with studying for her finals, and so Zelda put him out of her mind the best she could, which really just meant that she thought about him once every chapter instead of once every paragraph.  She spent her days cozying up in the corner of libraries, reviewing problem sets over and over again and throwing back an unhealthy amount of coffee.  The days in the library were split up only by exams, which were extensive and took the whole three hours of testing.

With only two days left of the semester, Zelda was in the library once again but this time she felt much more relaxed.  She had finished all of her exams, which – she hoped – weren’t  _horrible_ , and all she had left was the paper for  _Hyrule, Food, and Culture_.  Her final paper was going to be about the development and standardization of herbal remedies to manufactured medicine in the Post New Kingdom. She had finished the research component of her project, so all that was left was the writing.  Not her strong suit but she’d get it done.

Zelda began typing away at a desk in the back corner of the library, curled up in a plush chair and in her comfiest knit sweater.  The hours flew by without her noticing and before she knew it night had fallen and most of the students had left to grab dinner.  In her concentration, she didn’t even notice her hunger, or the sounds of approaching footsteps.

Zelda jumped when the person tapped her on the shoulder, dropping the pen she had been absentmindedly chewing.  She spun around to see Link standing behind her, looking a oddly uncomfortable but smiling nonetheless.  He was wearing a simple outfit of jeans and a green long sleeve shirt with a V-neck that just showed a bit of his collarbone.  She found it annoyingly sexy.

“Hey,” he whispered, leaning in a bit closer so that his delicious smell washed over her.  She felt her stomach fluttering and tried to breath through her mouth so she wouldn’t get anymore overwhelmed.

“Hey,” she whispered back, maybe a bit too enthusiastically.

“Are you writing that food paper?” He asked after a pause, glancing at her screen. “Damn, you already have half of it done.”

“How far are you?” She asked.

He grinned and rubbed the back of his had.  Looking away from her, he admitted, “Still need to do some research.”

“Seriously?” she balked. “It’s due in less than 48 hours.”

“I know, I know,” he babbled. “But I just had so many more important finals…you know how it is.”

She did.  Food Class, as Link called it, wasn’t exactly on the top of her priority list.

“Where do you think I can find books about how Rushrooms and Stamella Shrooms were the first instance of doping?”

Zelda had to hold back a loud laugh. “Are you really writing about rock climbing?” She asked with a teasing grin.

“Shut up, it’s just the first thing that came to mind,” he replied defensively, smiling nevertheless.

“Right…”

“I don’t love rocks,” he stated, not for the first time since they had became friends.

“And yet everything you do is related to rocks,” she pointed out and he rolled his eyes.

“Seriously though, where in all of Hyrule am I gonna find a book on either of these things?”

Closing her laptop, Zelda stood and decided, “Don’t worry, I will help you. I know this library better than my own home.”

“That’s a little sad,” Link whispered with a grin.

“Do you want my help or not?” She retorted as she started walking down a long line of books.

“Yes, please,” Link said feebly from behind her.

She led him to the Hylian history section to start, where they spent over half an hour flipping through books that might have even a hint of relevance to his topic.  Unsurprisingly, there was little written about either Rushrooms or rock climbing history.

She tried to stay focused on the task, but he was an even greater distraction now that she liked him than before when she had loathed him.  She couldn’t tell if she was just being hyperaware of him, but if felt like he was standing unusually close to her, that their fingers would brush too frequently, and that his hand lingered on her shoulder a bit too long.  Though winter, she was feeling flushed and had to roll her sleeves up to cool off a bit.

Finally, after an hour, they had found at least three books that would be relevant.  Zelda plopped the third one on top of the pile in his hands.  “There,” she said pleased. “Maybe now you won’t fail bakeshop.”

Link smiled warmly at her, his tan skin looking even more golden than usual in the dim light of the library.  “Thanks, Zelda,” he said sincerely. “I really appreciate your help.  I know you’re especially busy now so it means a lot.”

She was pleasantly shocked by his sincerity and couldn’t help but blush a bit. “No problem,” she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  Now was her chance, she knew it, just had to get the courage to ask for a phone number.  Easy as that.

And yet Zelda didn’t know how to start, so they stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds.

“Well…” Link started again as he began to turn away. “Guess I’ll get to writing this paper…only have, um, 36 hours now so…”

He was moving absurdly slowly in the other direction, but in Zelda’s internal panic she didn’t notice.

“Wait,” she called out, a bit too loud for a library, as she reached out to grab his hand.  He immediately stopped and spun around.  They both looked at their hands, hers now firmly clasped around his calloused fingers, and the heat radiating from them made Zelda’s heart tighten.

She opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say.  She was still holding onto his hand, and now they were standing so close that his scent was washing over her again.  Without thinking, her gaze slid down to his lips that looked so pink and soft –

She realized what she had done and looked back up into his eyes, but it was too late.  He had noticed.

They stared at each other, both unmoving, for a beat, and then Link just barely licked his lips.  She watched his wet, pink tongue slip out for just a second, but it had made something in Zelda lurch and she abandoned all of her doubts and reason.  Grabbing his stupidly sexy shirt by its collar, she pulled him forward and pressed her lips against his.  He immediately responded by slipping his free arm around her slender waist and holding her tightly against him.  The feeling of his lips moving with her made her head spin in the best way.

She stood up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck, but the books in his grasp dug uncomfortably into her ribs.  He separated from her with a breathless chuckle, smiling brilliantly at her.

“I’ll just…put these down,” he fumbled, gently placing the books on the floor before standing before her again.

She laughed as well, and before she could ponder what she had just done, he was on her again.  His hands slipped into her silky blonde hair and her body rose instinctively to press against his as he kissed her deeply.  No longer as tentative as before, Zelda was bold enough to wrap her arms around him and gently slip her tongue against his lips.  He gasped, allowing her to deepen the kiss.

His hands grabbed onto her hips and pushed her against the bookshelf, making some of the volumes rattle above her.  They grabbed at each other, hands clinging to sleeves and tugging the other closer as their moves moved together in sync.  His hands drifted down towards her thigh as her mind was losing all coherent thought –

“The library will be closing in fifteen minutes,” said a bored, nasally voice on the intercom, causing Link and Zelda to jump apart with shock. “I repeat, fifteen minutes.”

They stared at each other, breathing heavily and eyeing the other’s ruffled hair.

“Um, so…” Zelda started breathlessly. “Could I, um, get your number?”

“You can get that later,” Link grinned, equally short of breath. “Let’s go grab dinner.”

Zelda smiled, feeling so happy she thought her heart might fly away with joy. “Yes, that would be…but, wait, you need to finish your paper.”

“Oh,” Link replied, his smile dropping a bit.  He then looked down at his shoes where he began rubbing his toe back and forth on the carpet.  “Yeah, well, I actually already wrote that…”

“What?” Zelda asked, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

“Yeah,” he babbled. “I just wanted a reason to talk to you and I wasn’t thinking and so I just lied and then I was in too deep so…”

Zelda laughed now, loud and unrestrained. “Oh my goddesses…” she mumbled to herself in amazement, shaking her head at him.

Link’s face was scarlet with embarrassment, but he persevered. “So, dinner?”

“Okay, but you owe me a Noble Pursuit after making me spend an hour looking up books for a paper you already wrote,” she decided and Link laughed.

“Worth it though, right?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yes.”

“See?  It was the perfect plan,” he boasted as he put the books back on the shelf.

“Oldest trick in the book,” she agreed.

“Works on all the ladies,” he teased back and she laughed again.

“You do this every final’s period?” she asked and he spun around to give her a playful smile.

“This was just a test run, so now that I know it’s a success I am gonna go do it on somebody else.”

“Yeah, yeah, see you later, Playboy,” she joked, walking past him as if to leave him behind, but then he reached out to spin her around and kiss her again. She couldn’t help laughing against him out of pure joy and they broke apart smiling.

“So, dinner at Telma’s?” He offered.


End file.
